Thomas Chatterton Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Chatterton Williams
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Williams in 2020
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| Born | March 26, 1981 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Critic, author |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University New York University |
| Subject | Race, identity |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Notable works | Losing My Cool (2010) Self-Portrait in Black and White (2019) |
| Notable awards | Berlin Prize Guggenheim Fellow |
| Spouse | Valentine Faure |
| Children | 2 |
Thomas Chatterton Williams (born March 26, 1981) is an American writer and cultural critic. He writes about important ideas and how people see themselves. He wrote the 2019 book Self-Portrait in Black and White. He is also a staff writer for The Atlantic magazine.
Mr. Williams is a visiting professor and senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College. He also received a special award called a Guggenheim fellowship in 2022. Before this, he wrote for The New York Times Magazine and Harper's Magazine.
Early Life and Education
Thomas Chatterton Williams was born on March 26, 1981. His birthplace was Newark, New Jersey. His father was Black, and his mother was White. He was named after an English poet, Thomas Chatterton.
He grew up in Fanwood, New Jersey. He went to Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains. After high school, he studied philosophy at Georgetown University. He also earned a master's degree from New York University. This degree was in Cultural Reporting and Criticism.
Writing Career and Books
In 2010, Thomas Chatterton Williams published his first book. It was called Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture. This book is a memoir, which means it tells a story from his own life. It shares his experiences growing up in New Jersey. It also compares his childhood to his father's life in the segregated South.
His second book, Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race, came out on October 15, 2019. He explained that this book is about his children. They look different from how he looked when he was growing up. For this book, he became a New America Fellow. He also received the Berlin Prize.
In 2020, Mr. Williams helped write an important public letter. It was called "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate". This letter was published in Harper's Magazine. Many public figures signed it. The letter talked about how important it is to have different opinions. It also discussed how people should be able to share their views openly.
In January 2024, Williams became a staff writer at The Atlantic. He continues to teach and research at Bard College. He was previously a contributing writer for other well-known magazines.
Personal Life
Thomas Chatterton Williams married Valentine Faure in 2011. She is a French journalist and author. They live in Paris, France, with their two children.
Williams has shared that his beliefs changed during college. He read a book called The Brothers Karamazov. This book made him think differently about his faith. His ideas were also shaped by the writer Albert Camus.
